Pages tagged "Instant runoff voting"

Municipalities across the country held elections last month, as they do every November. But even if you are in the minority of voters who actually participate in elections that don’t coincide with presidential or congressional contests, your civic duties might not be complete just yet.

In a highly competitive election that brought over 8 thousand voters to the polls, students at UCLA used ranked choice voting (RCV) to elect student government officials last week. With 30 candidates vying for 13 offices, these elections showed that ranked choice voting can help students to elect officers that represent a broad range of voices in a large and diverse community.

In 2008, Oregon voters rejected a ballot initiative for a Top Two system by a nearly two-to-one vote. In 2014, Top Two may be back on the ballot, but this time tied to a famous Oregonian name and with a twist.

Voters in Cambridge, Massachusetts elected a new city government earlier this month, using ranked choice voting in multi-member districts as they have in every municipal election since 1941. This year's contest provides another illustration of the advantages of this system, including fair representation of minorities, reduced negative campaigning, and greater voter satisfaction.